REVEALED: the world’s biggest beauty trends

Google Search Data Shows How the Biggest Beauty Trends in Europe Compare to the Rest of the World 

The origins of skincare and cosmetics can be traced back thousands of years to Ancient Egypt, and throughout the centuries that have since passed, beauty trends have continued to evolve. From winged eyeliner and beehive hairdos to ultra-thin eyebrows and brown lipstick, some have yo-yoed in and out of the beauty scene over the years, while others remain firmly on the agenda – in fact, false lashes have been en vogue since 1899¹. But what are some of the biggest beauty crazes today, and how do they compare around the world? 

To find out, The Body Shop analyzed online search data from 64 countries and identified the Top 10 Global Beauty Trends: 

Over half of the biggest global beauty trends focus on hair; short hair styles, boycut hair styles, eyebrow threading and bob haircuts find their place in the Top 10.  

In 2020, there has been an average of 1.4m Google searches for the term ‘short hair styles’ globally, with this trend most in demand in the UK². Also this year, ‘boycut hair style’ has seen an average of 735k monthly searches, with Guyana searching for this more than anywhere else³. Alongside these hair trends, research also revealed that ‘bob haircut’, which ranks 8^thin the global beauty trends, is most in demand in Germany⁴.  

In cosmetics, ‘natural makeup’ sees 57k global Google searches per month. Rosy cheeks are bang on trend, with ‘pink blush’ seeing 95k monthly searches around the world. Demand for this look is highest in Poland⁵. Meanwhile, ‘bronzer’ is big on the beauty scene, with 93k monthly Google searches worldwide, and more people in Monaco⁶ searching for it than anywhere else.  

Eyebrow grooming is also huge worldwide. In fact, ‘eyebrow threading’ receives 312k monthly searches, with more of these happening in the United States per capita than anywhere else⁸. In fact, eyebrow related beauty makes up a third of the Top 10 Most-Googled Beauty Trends in the US⁹. 

Hello there, cheekbones! From ‘boycut hair style’ to ‘bob haircut’, it seems that European countries are framing their glow up around their bone structures, with the United Kingdom and Germany searching the most for this beauty trend. 

‘False lashes’ is another beauty trend that has a high number of searches in Europe, with Hungarians searching the most to get this dramatic beauty look.

Glamourous Monaco is chasing the sun-kissed look, searching the most for ‘bronzer’ followed by Germany, whose residents appear to also be keen to achieve a golden glow all year round.

To find out more about the biggest beauty trends in Europe and around the world, take a look at the full report: Global Glow Up Trends | The Body Shop®

ENDS 

For more information please contact: bryonybower@live.co.uk 

Notes to Editors: 

1. False lashes have been on trend since 1899. Source: Business Insider. 
2. ‘Short hair styles’ are searched for in the UK the most per capita. There are 246 Brits search for this trend per 100,000 of the UK population. 
3. Worldwide, there are 735k monthly searches on average for ‘boycut hairstyle’, and in Guyana, 50 per 100,000 people are searching for it. 
4. In Germany, 73 per 100,000 people search for ‘bob haircut’, making them the country with the most searches for this per capita. Globally, ‘bob haircut’ sees 286k monthly searches on average. 
5. In Poland, 58 per 100,000 people are searching for ‘pink blush’ every month, making them the country with the most searches per capita for this term. 
6. In Monaco, 25 per 100,000 people are searching for ‘bronzer’ every month, making them the country with the most searches per capita for this term. 
7. US Search Volume is based on the monthly average number of Google searches. ‘Trending in’ reflects the States in which those natural and artificial beauty trends have seen the highest increase in searches between 2019 and 2020. 
8. In the United States, 75 per 100,000 people are searching for ‘eyebrow threading’ every month, making them the country with the most searches per capita for this term. 
9. These are the overall biggest beauty trends in the United States based on Google search volumes:
    

1. Year on year data for ‘eyebrow slits men’ compares 2019 to 2020 
2. ‘Bushy eyebrows’ searches soared 188% since 2017 in Rhode Island 
3. ‘Thin eyebrows’ searches increased by 95% since 2017 in Washington State 
4. Colorado saw the biggest increase since 2017 by +246% YoY when it comes to ‘fake freckles makeup’ 

Combined map including both natural and artificial beauty trends which have seen the biggest YoY% in Google searches 

Methodology 

We analyzed existing beauty reports (including Mintel’s Beauty Report) to discover the beauty trends with the biggest growth in popularity year on year. We used Google Keyword Planner to find the most searched for global beauty trends based on keyword volumes from July 2017 to June 2020. We translated these keywords into the local language for each country included, then pulled country-level volumes for the same time frame. We also pulled keyword volumes on a US state level. Country and state populations were included in analysis to draw representative insights (per capita). 

About The Body Shop 

The Body Shop was founded in Brighton, England. The Body Shop is a global beauty brand that seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally inspired skincare, hair and makeup; produced ethically and sustainably.
 
The Body Shop pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good and this ethos is still the brand’s driving force. The Body Shop has more than 3,000 stores in more than 60 countries.